A full wrap of all our grades after the weekend’s games.
First Grade: Round 1
Premiers the Melbourne Storm have defeated the Bulldogs winning 36-18 in round one at Perth Stadium.
The Bulldogs were the first to trouble the scorers, with Kieran Foran laying on a try for Raymond Faitala-Mariner after two minutes before Ryley Jacks got the Storm on the board moments later.
A Curtis Scott four-pointer at the 16th minute saw Melbourne secure a 12-8 advantage, before Matt Frawley threw a brilliant cut-out ball to send a diving Brett Morris over in the corner to level the match at 12-all.
Successive tries to Josh Addo-Carr and Kenny Bromwich helped the Storm to a 24-12 half-time lead.
The Bulldogs got first points in the second half, with Frawley pouncing on a loose ball to score at the 54th minute before Moses Mbye converted to reduce the margin to six.
But tries to Josh Addo-Carr at the 62nd minute and Suliasi Vunivalu at the 73rd minute wrapped the game up for the Storm.
Melbourne Storm 36 defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 18 (Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Brett Morris, Matt Frawley tries; Moses Mbye 3 goals) at Optus Stadium, Perth.
Intrust Super Premiership NSW: Round 1
Coach Steve Georgallis conceded that his team looked flat at times, and that Western Suburbs ran harder than the Bulldogs. But it was only the first round of the season, and with a lot of new players and youngsters in the team, combinations will need time to develop. Georgallis says the team will do everything possible to bounce back against the Warriors this Saturday in Auckland.
Western Suburbs 32 defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 10 (Fa'amanu Brown, Jarred Anderson tries; Rhyse Martin goal) at ANZ Stadium.
Jersey Flegg: Round 1
The Bulldogs got on the scoreboard early through big Giordan Patea, who went through untouched running off Brandon Wakeham in a well worked set play. But despite having less possession, the Tigers took a 10-6 lead into the half-time break after scoring a couple of tries. It was thankfully a different story in the second half for the Bulldogs, who ran in 24 unanswered points to cruise to victory. Blake Clayton at fullback was very dangerous and his positional play was outstanding at times, while Sam Radovu was the standout forward in a well performed pack on the day, managing to play the full 70 minutes. Brandon Wakeham was man of the match with four try assists, and provided some strong defence against some much bigger opponents.
Canterbury Bulldogs 30 (Giordan Patea, Jacob Winterstein, Blake Clayton, Morgan Harper, Samuel Radovu tries; Brandon Wakeham 4 goals) defeated Wests Tigers 10 at Campbelltown Stadium.
SG Ball: Round 5
The Bulldogs didn't have the best start to the game, conceding a try in the first three minutes, however they stayed composed and positive, racing in three unanswered tries shortly after. Midway through the first half, though, Canterbury had a lapse in concentration, conceding another four-pointer. But a pair of tries leading into half-time gave the visiting Bulldogs a 26-12 advantage at the break. In the second half, the Bulldogs' big men dominated in the middle and on the edges, while the outside backs ran in try after try with some impressive free flowing footy. With the young Bulldogs piling on another 28 points and the Central Coast scoring two consolation tries, Canterbury secured a dominant win. Best performers for the club on the day were Tommy Talau, Justin Filo and James Valevatu.
Canterbury Bulldogs 54 (Mosese Vuki 2, Iverson Fuatimau 2, Ryan Gray, Jackson Topine, Tommy Talau, Jake Averillo, Tyrone Harding, Benjamin Mallia tries; Jake Averillo 7 goals) defeated Central Coast Roosters 22 at Morry Breen Oval.
Harold Matthews Cup: Round 5
A solid first half saw the Bulldogs go into the sheds leading 16-4 at half-time. But after scoring a fine try to extend that advantage by six early in the second, Canterbury allowed the the Central Coast Roosters back into it with errors and a lack of discipline. But cool heads steadied the ship, with man of the match Bunsom Chaipanya sealing the game with his third try late in the match.
Canterbury Bulldogs 26 (Bunsom Chaipanya 3, Joseph O'Neill, Billee Mohammed tries; Khaled Rajab 2, Bunsom Chaipanya goals) defeated Central Coast Roosters 14 at Morry Breen Oval.
Tarsha Gale Cup: Round 5
The Bulldogs scored the first try and the last try and there were some positive signs, but ultimately they were outplayed by a quicker side. Canterbury played well in patches, but found it tough to compete for longer periods. The score didn’t reflect the effort the girls put into the match. In recent times, the Bulldogs have had a difficult draw, coming up against three of the top four sides over the last month.
Illawarra Steelers 64 defeated Canterbury Bulldogs 14 (Sydney Topine 2, Joy Tedeschi tries; Larlynta Potts goal) at Collegians Sporting Complex.
